Death's Reason

Chapter 10

Nico sat in silence during the car ride, eating Doritos, passing some where the others couldn't see, watching as Poppy ate them out of his hand. If they were to see it, well, he wasn't sure what they'd see. A dorito disappearing into thin air?

So he kept them out of their sight.

"Can she eat them?" Annabeth whispered to him.

Nico nodded and plopped another chip into his mouth, hoping to get the message across. He didn't feel like talking.

The prophecy had warned him that Kronos wouldn't be the same. So what would he plan this time?

Fate changes and fate you will see

Has always been foretold to thee.

Those were the lines that got him. He had one idea, but it didn't make any fucking sense. But if it was true, it was slightly comforting, but it meant that this whole thing was more screwed up and twisted apart than he thought.

He decided to push the idea away. He could get back to it another day, when he wasn't squished between the door and Annabeth Chase, when he wasn't preparing himself for another battle.

He passed another dorito to Poppy as the car stopped. He hadn't been paying attention, but apparently, they had found an entrance to the Labyrinth.

The entrance was an old mine that had a blue triangle burned into it. Nico followed the others through it until they were once again in the Labyrinth, his hand on his sword and the other clenching his Doritos.

Rachel and Annabeth walked ahead, talking about one thing or another. Nico didn't mind it much until Percy tried talking to him.

"Thanks for coming after us," Percy said.

"I owed you for the ranch, Percy," Nico dismissed. "Plus...Minos was right, in a way. Daedalus should die. Nobody should be able to avoid death that long. It's not natural."

"That's what you were after all along," Percy said. "Trading Daedalus's soul for your sister's."

Nico continued to feed Poppy, who was skipping along beside him. "Imagine if it was your mom to have died. Wouldn't you do whatever the fuck you could to bring her back?"

Percy was silent for some time before answering. "At first, maybe. I wouldn't be able to see what was right with that grief in my mind. That's why I tried to show you."

They stopped at a crossroads. Rachel pointed her flashlight down one way, looking sick.

"Is it that way?" Annabeth asked.

"No," Rachel said. "Not at all."

"Why are we stopping then?" Percy asked.

"Listen," Nico commanded. The wind coming down that tunnel...

"Eucalyptus trees," Percy said. "Like in California."

Nico looked over at him, able to feel his face scrunch up in confusion.

"Where the absolute fuck- No, the smell of death," Nico corrected.

Rachel nodded. "There's something very evil down that tunnel."

"Luke's entrance," Annabeth guessed. "The one to Mount Othrys—the Titans' palace."

"I have to check it out," Percy said.

"Percy, no."

"Luke could be right here," Percy said. "Or...or Kronos. I have to find out what's going on."

Annabeth hesitated. "Then we'll all go."

"No," Percy said. "It's too dangerous. If they got hold of Nico, or Rachel for that matter, Kronos could use them. You stay here and guard them."